


Just Right

by likehandlingroses



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Just Right-verse fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 00:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12569212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likehandlingroses/pseuds/likehandlingroses
Summary: When the Golds bring home a new baby, Gideon has trouble adjusting to life with a baby sister. It's up to his parents to try and bring him around to the idea and show him that life can be just as nice with a baby.





	Just Right

From the very moment Gideon’s personality began to shine through the sleepy, complacent mask of infancy, there could be little doubt over who the boy took after. Nor did it come as a shock to Rumple--who had first encountered his son as young man who dreamt of heroics and was terrified of failure--that Gideon was a miniature of his mother. 

If Rumple were honest with himself, he much preferred it that way; most people would be better off if they were a bit more like his wife. Gideon was bright, inquisitive, and endlessly affectionate. He’d taken to books early on in life, to Belle’s delight, and though he still couldn’t read them himself, he already hoarded them. He’d soon amassed quite a collection for a four year old.

But the book Gideon loved the most was a cheery, colorful retelling of _Goldilocks and the Three Bears._ Belle had read it to him over and over again at his insistence, and by now Gideon knew each page by heart and would “read” the book out loud to anyone who would listen. This ended up being Rumple, more often than not, especially now that they had brought Rosie home. For much of the day, Gideon was now his father’s responsibility.

Rumple didn’t mind it at all, of course. Gideon had an infectious light about him, much like his mother, and it came out especially when he read. He would imitate Belle’s narrative quirks, trying out the voices she used for Mama and Papa Bear. It didn’t matter how many times Rumple heard the story; his son’s joy made the experience a wonder every time. Nothing was more important than such moments. 

However, to allow for such moments, everyone had to be fed and dressed and put to bed. The house had to be cleaned and the laundry had to be done. And sometimes, though he tried his best to avoid it, Rumple found himself in the difficult position of having to tell his son,  _no._

“Are you done _now_?” Gideon asked for the third time as he watched his father prepare dinner, the infamous Three Bears in his hand.

“Almost, son.”

Gideon knew better than to whine (and he was a child who rarely did things he knew better than to do), but Rumple could see his frustrated squirming begin.

“Why don’t you start reading it to me now?” Rumple said, preempting Gideon’s complaint. “I can hear you just fine.”

“No!” Gideon cried out. “You have to see the pictures too!”

“Oh, I’m sure I can remember them from here.”

“No you can’t!”

There was no winning that argument. Rumple held back a sigh. 

“Have you asked your mother if she wants to read with you? She’s just in the other room; I’m sure she’d love it. And so would your sister.” 

“I tried, but Rosie was being naughty and wouldn’t let me,” Gideon said, looking down at his feet dangling over the edge of the chair. 

“She was being naughty?” 

“Yes. She was being so loud and crying and wiggling around like this-” Gideon demonstrated. “And I didn’t like it.”

“Well, that’s what babies do sometimes, you know. You did the same thing when you were small.”

“But I don’t _like_ it,” Gideon insisted.  

Rumple nodded in understanding. “Babies do take getting used to. And you’ve been very patient with how things are changing now Rosie’s here.” 

He hesitated before continuing. “In fact, I picked something up for you the other day. A present, for being such a good big brother.”

Gideon’s face lit up at the mention of a present. “You did? Can I see it?”

“Give me one minute to get things settled here, and I’ll get it for you,” Rumple said, already half regretting the excitement he’d instilled in Gideon. He was bound to be disappointed once he saw the present. Indeed, fear of disappointing his son had kept the gift in Rumple’s dresser drawer for some weeks. But there was no turning back now that he’d offered.

  
He hadn’t even told Belle about the purchase. When he’d been growing up, it had always seemed to him that a doll was a standard toy that most children asked for...but that was long ago in a different world, and the last thing he wanted was to expose his son to ridicule. 

Nevertheless, he was soon up in his room, Gideon waiting outside the door (for he couldn’t possibly wait downstairs while Papa was fetching him a present). Rumple took the baby doll out of his drawer and turned to face his son, feeling quite silly.

“I thought, ah...you might like having a baby too. Just like me and Mama.”

Gideon frowned. “I don’t know if I like babies.”

For a moment, Rumple’s heart sank. But Gideon still stepped forward to inspect the doll further, his face set with a curious determination Rumple knew well: it was Belle’s own expression written on Gideon’s face.

“Well, here,” Rumple said, kneeling down so Gideon could get a closer look. “Let’s...let’s try and do some things with her and see what you think. Sometimes you just have to learn about something before you know if you like it. Do you want to?”

Gideon considered the proposition for a moment. Babies hadn’t exactly gotten off on the right foot with him, but Papa’s presents hadn’t failed him yet. And Mama always said that trying new things was good, unless you really, really didn’t want to. 

“I’ll try, I guess.”

* * *

 

Belle heard Gideon coming down the stairs with his father, chattering away about something. She smiled and looked down at Rosie, who looked quite content for about the first time that day. She was fussier than Gideon had been, and Belle--who had anticipated being more of an expert with her second baby--felt as though she’d been sent straight back to square one. 

Thankfully, Rumple took nights with Rosie and was content keeping Gideon occupied for most of the day. Gideon hadn’t yet taken a liking to Rosie, though he’d seemed excited at the prospect of a baby sister when she was just a large object in his mama’s tummy.

Now that she was here, Gideon thought of his sister as more of a nuisance than anything.

Belle hoped such feelings wouldn’t last, but a part of her was already afraid. After all, she had never had a sibling, nor had Rumple. They seemed quite nice to have, but perhaps it was a case of the grass being greener, and she’d inadvertently made two children miserable due to a selfish desire to have a normal pregnancy with her husband. Everyone said Gideon would grow into the idea, but Belle wasn’t sure exactly how to manage it.

Belle heard Rumple say, “We can do that later; I have to check on dinner, son. Why don’t you show Goldilocks to Mama?” 

He was coming to read to her again. Belle just prayed Rosie would stay quiet this time. Maybe then Gideon would start to form positive associations with her. She’d read that somewhere, hadn’t she? Yes, she must have. If Gideon read to his sister and she seemed to like it, things might start to change. Belle kissed the top of Rosie’s head, closed her eyes, and whispered:

“Please,  _please_ don’t cry, darling.”

But to Belle’s surprise, Gideon was not holding his favorite book. Instead, he cradled a toy baby doll, carefully swaddled, in his arms. Belle was thrown off for a moment, but quickly remembered her singular task: to convince Gideon that Rosie was wonderful.

“Hi, Gideon! Look who it is, Rosie!” Belle beamed at Gideon, trying her hardest to muster up enough enthusiasm to hide her exhaustion. “She’s so happy to see you.” 

Gideon looked unconvinced but climbed up on the couch next to her, his eyes intent on his new toy. He settled into his seat and glanced shyly up at Belle, and she took the cue: 

“Who’s that you have there?”

“My baby,” Gideon stated, pride in his voice.

“Oh, my goodness. I didn’t know you had a baby too. Does your baby have a name yet?” 

“Goldilocks,” Gideon said. “Papa gave her to me.” 

Of course he had. Belle felt a familiar warmth settle inside of her.

“I see. Did he show you how to wrap her up like that?” she asked

“Yeah, he showed me. And how to hold her like this so her head doesn’t flop.”

“I noticed how nice you’re holding her,” Belle said quietly, marvelling at the solution Rumple had found.

“Yeah, and she has a bottle too because some babies have bottles. Did you know that, Mama?”

“I did! You know, you had a bottle when you were a baby. Do you remember that?”

Gideon was about to answer when Rosie suddenly began to squirm. In another moment, she was crying in earnest. Belle sighed--if she didn’t know any better, she’d think Rosie knew they were talking about food and had decided to take her dinner early. She gave a guilty glance to Gideon, who only made the smallest of grimaces before looking up at her.

“It’s okay that she’s crying. That’s what babies do sometimes, right?”

Belle stared at him in shock for a moment before answering:

“Yes, they do! It’s how they tell you what they need, since they can’t talk. So right now Rosie’s hungry, I think.” 

Gideon beamed. “So is my baby!”

Belle watched him procure a tiny toy bottle and stick it in Goldilocks’ mouth. She felt with certainty, for the first time in a while, that the chaos Rosie had brought would settle into something beautiful for their family.

* * *

 

Belle wasn’t able to catch Rumple alone until both their children had finally, miraculously, found themselves asleep at the same time. She was settled into bed when he came into the room, pulling off his tie. Belle sat up straighter, and he looked at her and smiled.

“It’s finally quiet,” he remarked. Belle nodded.

“The doll you gave Gideon was a beautiful idea. He loves it. I really think it’s helping him adjust.”

Rumple gave her one of his bashful grins before looking back down at his shirt and unbuttoning it.

“Well, he looks up to you. I thought he’d want a babe of his own.”

“He looks up to you, too,” Belle said, more quietly than she’d meant to. She wondered, sometimes, if Rumple knew how much their son reminded her of him. Sensitive and sweet as could be, eager to please, and quick to delight in the smallest of pleasures.

“Well, I...I try to set a good example,” Rumple said, though he couldn’t hide the fact that the comment had pleased him.

“You always do. How did you know that it would work?” 

“I didn’t,” he admitted. “But I’d have liked something like that as a boy. It helps during transitions, sometimes. To take care of something, you know?” 

“I suppose it does,” Belle replied. “You know, it’s really not fair; I’ve read just about every book on parenting I could find...and sometimes you’re still much cleverer than me when it comes to it.” 

Rumple shook his head. “I just had a feeling, is all.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. He’s lucky to have a father like you.”

Rumple suddenly became quite preoccupied with his belt, hesitating before saying:

“We’re raising a good boy.”

Belle could hear the constriction in his voice, and her own throat closed up for a moment as tears pricked her eyes.

“We are.”


End file.
